Mandatory safety equipment has meant more expensive cars. The required technologies, increasingly numerous in the case of European regulation, raise the price of cars. So does inflation, but it all adds up.
But one Suzuki sedan, which is sold in India and in other emerging markets, shows that it does not necessarily have to be this way: has obtained five stars in crash tests. This is the new generation of Suzuki Dzirea car of just over 7.500 euros to change.
Five stars in protection for adult occupants and four for child passengers
The fourth generation of Suzuki Dzire has just been released and has passed the Global NCAP crash-tests with the highest grade. This evaluation program is applied in countries where security regulations are discreet or even non-existent, and has improved over the years in its protocols and tests.
The progress of the Dzire has been notable: In its previous generation, Global NCAP rated it with two stars. In its new delivery it has done its homework, improving its active and passive safety equipment.
The first five-star rated Indian Suzuki. This Suzuki Dzire has obtained five stars for adult protection and four stars for child occupant protection. Specifically, Global NCAP subjects cars to frontal and side impacts and assesses equipment such as stability control, pedestrian protection or protection from side impacts against poles.
As far as adult occupants are concerned, it got especially good marks in the head or body protection on the side, which was total. The structure and leg area were also rated as stable, being able to withstand additional loads. And for children (18-month-old dummy) it showed good protection, being complete for side impacts. It did not get the five stars for not being able to have the restraint system in reverse gear.
The excellent grade of the Dzire is due to the fact that now standard equipment six airbags (including side curtain for the head), in addition to ECS (electronic stability control) and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian protection. This has made it the first Maruti Suzuki (Suzuki’s subsidiary in India) to obtain five stars in the Global NCAP tests.
A Swift converted into a saloon, with just what is necessary. The Suzuki Dzire is a small 3.99 m sedan that is based on the Suzuki Swift utility vehicle, which has just released a new generation. Sharing its platform, it follows its 2.45 m wheelbase, but has a more generous trunk being a four-door: 382 liters compared to the 265 liters of the Swift.
It is offered with the same mechanics as the Swift, but without hybridization: the 1.2 naturally aspirated gasoline with 82 HP and 112 Nm. It can be associated with a five-speed manual transmission or an automatic transmission with identical ratios. It also offers a CNG engine with identical displacement and 69 HP.
In its base finish it focuses on just the necessary technology, for example a nine-inch touch screen (with connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto). But in its wide range of finishes you can have Full LED headlights, climate control, 360ยบ camera, wireless charging for mobile phones, panoramic roof and connectivity functions.
In any case it shows that a safe car does not have to be expensive. It is true that India is a market where cheap cars abound. But also that the European standard requires equipment that does not necessarily make sense in terms of safety. For example, systems that prepare for future autonomous driving or data exchange, among others.
Models such as the Dacia Sandero or the Dacia Duster have increased significantly in price in their latest deliveries. Despite this, they have obtained poor ratings in security tests. The Sandero Stepway, the best-selling car in Spain, was rated only two stars by Euro NCAP when the last generation of the utility vehicle hit the market. The reason was that its emergency braking did not include pedestrian detection. So the Sandero did not reach 10,000 euros. Today the most affordable is around 14,000 euros.
Source: www.motorpasion.com
